Potato digger and separator.



O. R. BROWN. POTATO BIGGER AND SEPARATOR APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,1909.

952,78 Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

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O. R. BROWN.

POTATO BIGGER AND SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION FIL'ED JUNE 22, 1909.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

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0. R. BROWN.

POTATO BIGGER. AND SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1909.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

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POTATO DIGGER AND SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application filed .Tune 22, 1909. Serial No. 503,658.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO R. BROWN, citizen of the United States,residing at Hornell, in the county of Steuben and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato Diggers andSeparators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to diggers and has particular reference to acombined potato digger and separator.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which will raisepotatoes from the ground and will separate the same before deliveringthe potatoes to the receptacle which is applied to the implement forsuch purpose.

Another object of the invention is the provision of simple means wherebythe motion of the implement will not be retarded to any great extent bythe application of this mechanism and which will at the same timeeffectually separate the dirt and stones from the potatoes as the sameare fed upwardly from the shovels toward the rear of the machine.

The invention contemplates the production of an implement whereby thepotatoes will be dug from the ground and carried to a receptacle inwhich a plurality of arms are disposed which strike the potatoes andearth, and by reason of the jarring of the same, separate the dirt fromthe potatoes and permit the dirt to fall upon the ground, whereupon thepotatoes are carried backwardly to a point where a receptacle of anysuitable formation is attached. In this connection it contemplates theconstruction of such an implement whereby the separator arms are given arotary motion at a high speed so as to admit only a small portion of thedirt and potatoes between each arm, thereby furthering the operation ofthe clevice in causing the feeding of but small quantities to theseparator.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is atop plan view of the com plete implement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the separatorattachment, and Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7 disclose modified forms of theseparator arms employed in connection with the implement.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a main axle which issupported upon a pair of drive wheels 11 disposed upon the opposite endsof the axle 10. The axle 10 is provided intermediately with a tongue 12which extends forwardly and carries a suitable doubletree or the like 13for drawing the implement. The tongue 12 is provided with rearwardlydiverging braces 1a which engage collars 15 carried-upon the axle 10 andis provided with a depending link 16 which is connected by a chain 17 tothe doubletree 13 and which is provided with a second chain 18 whichextends downwardly and engages the opposite points of a shovel 19. Theshovel 19 is supported be neath the tongue 12 by means of the connecting rods 20 secured at their lower extremities in pivotal relationupon the outer sides of the shovel 19 and pivotally connected to theshort arm of a bell-cranklever 21 which is mounted upon a base 22carried upon the upper face of the tongue 12. The connecting rods 20 areretained in rigid relation to the bell-crank lever 21 by the employmentof a transverse rod which extends across the tongue 12 and braces 14 andis pivotally engaged at itsopposite extremities to the upper ends of theconnecting rods 20. The intermediate portion of the transverse rod 23 isloosely connected to the short arm of the bell-crank lever 21. Thebell-crank lever 21 is formed with a handle which is provided with apawl 24 for engagement with a rack 25 to support the lever 21 rigidly inthe various angles desired. It is by this means that the shovels 19 areraised or lowered in accord ance with the depth desired to insert thepoints in the ground. The rear extremities of the shovels 19 convergeand extend upwardly where they terminate in the forward edge of a framewhich is of circular formation and which is composed of a disk 26 whichis provided with a plurality of radially extended arms 27 over which areengaged and rigidly secured a plurality of circular strips 28 which aredisposed concentrically in spaced relation to admit of the passage ofdirt therethrough which is carried upwardly from the frame through themedium of the shovels 19.

The sleeves 15 which are carried upon the main axle 10 are provided withrearwardly extended supports 29 which are disposed in parallel and whichcarry across their intermediate portion a bar 80 which is securedthereto through the medium of a pair of U-shaped' bolts 31 whichstraddle the bar 30 and engage through the supports 29. The oppositeextremities of the bar 30 are secured intermediately upon the oppositearms of a frame 32 which is of U-formation having the extremitiesthereof extended upwardly and having the intermediate portion of thesame engaged across the under face of the disk 26. The upper extremitiesof the frame 32 are provided with bearingsof any adaptable constructioninto which are positioned the opposite extremities of a drive shaftwhich extends over the center of the disk 26. The drive shaft 38isprovided at its central portion with a beveled gear 34 which mesheswith a second beveled gear 35 which iscarried upon the upper extremityof a sleeve 36-mounted loosely about a stub shaft 37 which is projectedupwardly from the disk 26. The lower extremity of the sleeve 36 isprovided with a plurality of radially ext-ending. arms 37 which lieclosely against the upper edges of theconcentrically positioned strips28 and which revolve thereover under the action of the sleeve 36; Asshown in Fig.- 3 of the drawings the radially extended arms 37- are of.straight formation having: opposite flattened edges for engagement withthe potatoes which are disposed upon the upper edges of the strips-28for the purpose ofcarrying. the same and of causing the dirt whichadheres to the potatoes to drop from the same under the action of thearms,

The means employed. for driving the separator frame comprises a sprocketwheel 38 mounted rigidly upon one end ofthe drive shaft 33 and whichsupports a chain 39 which passes forwardly and engages over an enlargedsprocket 40 mounted upon the main shaft 10.

For the purpose of further strengthening the implement the supports 29are each provided with depending links 41 which carry at their lowerextremity inpivotal relation the forwardly extended reach rods 42 and43. The reach rods 42 extend forwardly beneath and beyond the main axle1 0 where they are loosely connected to intermediate points upon theconnecting rods 20 which depend from the bell-crank lever 21. The reachrods 43 are extended forwardly and downwardly where they are engagedwith the rear extremities of the landsid-es 44c of the shovels.

The strips 28 terminate at one side of the machine at a point rearwardlyof the transverse frame 32 for the purpose of admitting of the droppingof stones or the like which are carried upwardly upon the shovels 1 9.Disposed about the strips 28 is an arcuate flange 45 which is mountedupon the outer extremities-of the 'adially extended arms 27 and which isprojected upwardly beyond the strips 28 and the rotary or separator arms37, the flange 45 being extended at each extremity slightly beyond theends of the concentric strips 28.

The separator is provided with a spiral strip" 58 which is secured atone extremity to the flange 45 at one end thereof and is carriedrearwardly of the implement and curved inwardly where its oppositeextremity is secured. tothe end of the innermost of the concentricstrips 28. The spiral strip 58 is preferably sprung upwardly tofrictionally engage with the nuder edges of" the arms 37 in: order toscrape. from the same any material which has a tendency to adherethereto owing to the force" of impact. as the arms- 37 are rotated' Tn=the-modification disclosed in Figet the sleeve 46 is provided with aradially extended arm: 47 which is formed of a flattened bar and whichis provided with a baclnvardlyex tended portion 48 at its outerextremityfor thepurposeof more effectually throwing the dirt toward thecircumference of the circu lar separator frame.

Fig; 5 discloses a modification in which the'sleeve l9'is provided withan outwardly projected; arm 50 formed preferably. from the flattenedmetallic bar and which is provided at its outer end with a plurality ofequi-distai'itlyv spaced teeth 51 which are'project ed' upwardlytherefrom and which. serve the purpose of retaining the potatoes,stones, or other substances collected by the shovels frompassingupwardly over thearm 5O dur ing the operation of the machine.

A further modified form is disclosed in Fig. Gin which the sleevecarries a radi ally extended arm upon the outer end ofwhiclrare-positioned a plurality of spaced teeth 5-1 which extenddowmvardly and forwardly to-form a fork for the reception of thepotatoes which are disposed upoirt-he upper edges of the strips 28. Thisformation 0t arm causes a scooping; action and thereby forms a ready andGfiQCtlVG means for separating: the dirt from the potatoes,insomuchthatthe potatoes are caused to-bound back and forth before the tines 54,loosening the adhering dirt therefrom. hen this form is employed t hearms 53 are mounted higher upon the sleeve to-admit of the passage ofthe tines 54 over the radial braces whiclnsupport the strips 28 and overthe scraper 58'.

Fig.v 7 shows a still further modified form of the separator arms inwhich the sleeve 55 carries a pair of vertically spaced flattenedbars56and- 57- which are smooth upon their opposite sides and which providemeans for engaging the matter to be movedand of per- 'mitting of thepassage of small particles thereof between the bars 56 and In operationas the implement is moved forwardly the wheels 11 are revolved and theaxle l0 therewith. This mot-ion is communicated through the sprocket 40,chain 89 and sprocket 38 to the drive shaft 38 whereby the beveled gears34 and 35 are set in motion and the sleeve 36 is actuated. As the sleeve36 is revolved the radially extended arms 37 are carried therewith andcaused to ride rigidly over the upper edge of the concentric strips 28.At the same time the shovels 19 engage in the earth and cause thefeeding upwardly of quantities of earth and potatoes and the same arecaused to be deposited upon the upper edges of the strips 28 where theyare engaged by the arms 37 which are carried past the same.

It will be noted from the drawing that at the point where the shovelsengage with the circular separator frame the flange 45 is slighttvreduced in height to admit of the positioning of the potatoes directlyupon the upper edges of the strips 28. lV hen the arms 37 strike theaccumulated material upon the concentric strips 28 the material isviolently agitated and the dirt is thereby caused to disengage from thepotatoes and to fall downwardly through the spaces between the strips 28when the potatoes are carried on wardly and deposited in a suitablereceptacle positioned at the rear of the circular frame.

It is readily observed that by manipulating the bell-crank lever 21 thedepth of the shovels 19 can be regulated according to the depth at whichit is desired to insert the same so as to enable the digging of thepotatoes from the ground.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. Animplement as specified including a frame, shovels carried by said frame,a circular member disposed rearwardly of said shovels to receivepotatoes and earth from the same, a plurality of radially extended armsrotatably mounted above said member for engagement with the potatoes andearth, means for actuating said arms and a spiral scraper carried bysaid member for engagement with said arms to remove adhering substancesfrom the same.

2. A digger including a frame, a pair of shovels mounted at the forwardend of said frame and adapted for adjustment thereon and havingconvergingextremities, a separator mounted at the rear of the frameadjacent the inner converging extremities of said shovels, and meansconnected between said shovels and said separator for adjusting the samesii'miltaneously.

3. A digger including a frame, a pair of shovels adjustably disposedupon the for- Ward end of said frame and converging at their rearextremities, a separator pivotally mounted on said frame and connectedto said shovels, and a lever mounted on said frame and connected betweensaid shovels and said separator for adjusting the same.

A. A digger including a frame, shovels mounted at the forward end ofsaid frame, means for adjusting said shovels, a transverse framedisposed across the rear end of said first frame, a plurality ofconcentric strips positioned on said transverse frame and arrangedsubstantially circular, a plurality of arms disposed upon saidtransverse frame adjacent said strips, and a scraper spirally disposedbetween the terminated extremities of said concentric strips for e11-gagement with said arms.

5. A digger including a frame, shovels mounted at the forward end ofsaid frame, a transverse frame located at the rear extremity of saidmain frame, a plurality of concentric strips mounted on said transverseframe, a sleeve rotatably disposed on said transverse frame centrally ofsaid strips, a plurality of arms radially extended from said sleeve oversaid strips, braces mounted on said transverse frame, a transverse shaftlocated across the upper ends of said braces, gears carried by saidtransverse shaft and said sleeve in meshed relation, a sprocket mountedon said transverse shaft, traction wheels mounted on said main frame, asprocket carried by one of said traction wheels and a chain disposedover said sprockets for communicating motion between the traction wheelsand said arms.

6. A digger including a main frame, shovels mounted on the forward endof said main frame, a lever carried by said main frame, and connected tosaid shovels for adjusting the same, a transverse frame pivotallymounted upon the rear end of said main frame, rods disposed between saidtransverse frame and said lever for adjusting said transverse frame, aplurality of concentric strips mounted on said transverse frame, and aplurality of radially extended arms carried by said transverse frame forrotary movement above said strips.

7. A digger including a main frame, a circular separator carried by saidframe, a plurality of arms mounted on said separator and radiallyextended from the center thereof, and a spiral scraper mounted on theseparator for engagement against the under sides of said arms throughouttheir lengths.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO R. BROWVN.

